Hearts and Flour Review

Hearts and Flour
by Tara Lain
4 stars

Now, I love Tara's books, she writes about unique characters who you can't help falling in love with. That being said, even I was skeptical of the relationship in this book. A raw food vegan and a cupcake baker? Come on, that's like putting a cat and a mouse together and hoping it ends well. I though she may have bit off more than she could chew. But lo and behold, Tara not only did it, she did it spectacularly.

I absolutely loved this book, I read it all in one sitting, I couldn't put it down. Where do I start? Let's start with the characters. The characters were wonderful. I especially love Quentin, our cross-dressing cupcake baker. I loved seeing him as Queen, and I love the Southern belle attitude he has. Being a Southerner myself, it definitely helped me connect with Quentin. While I liked Micah, there were times when he came off as way too fanatical, but after learning about his back story, it made more sense to me. I ended up sympathizing with him, and while I would never be able to be a vegan, I definitely want to try some recipes out now. Micah and Quentin were so good together, and I love how they were both willing to compromise to make their differences click.

But one of my favorite characters has to be Mary Beth. Mary Beth is one rocking grandma! Imagine the hip grandma, who constantly surprises you and also happens to be a kickass Southern belle and chef. That's Mary Beth in a nutshell. She is great and a wonderful secondary character. Yancy was a great character as well, even though he was only in about one chapter, I would love to see him get his HEA.

The setting was great as well. I love Laguna Beach and I haven't even been there before! Several of Tara's books are set here, and hearing about the landmarks and areas there is great. I have such an urge to go and visit now. Plus, I like the more laid back attitude in Laguna, plus it's the perfect setting for this book.

All in all, I loved this book. The characters were funny and likable, the plot was good, and I sincerely hope Yancy gets his own story, because I can't wait to read it. I highly recommend this book to everyone.